Art is Destruction
by narni4eva
Summary: When a chance meeting in the forest throws Sai and Deidara together, the inevitable argument about what art is leads to a little more...
1. Chapter 1

Haharrr! A short SaixDeidara fic. More people should like this pairing. I mean, come on. It's so OBVIOUS. Two boys who are into art and using it as a weapon, and who dress/look like girls, and don't really care about it? Come on, people! See the light!

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Art is Destruction

Sai looked up curiously as the shadow of a bird passed over him. He realised straight away that it was not a real bird; it was too big, for one thing, and for another it was carrying a girl on it's shoulders. She had long blonde hair and was wearing a dark cloak. He squinted upwards, but by the looks of things she didn't match the description he had been given. The only Akatsuki they'd been told of were male.

He went back to looking at his book, the book he carried everywhere with him, only to be disturbed a moment later as the shadow passed over him again. This time the girl was looking down at him, and as their eyes met he shivered a little. The wings of the giant bird buffeted the air and made a harsh breeze blow across him.

A few moments later, the bird glided to the ground a few paces away from him, and the strange girl jumped off to stand next to him.

"Who are you, un?" She asked. Sai realised that her voice was far too deep for her to actually be a girl. Looking a little closer, he realised that he was talking to a _boy._

"None of your business. What are you? I mean, who?" Sai replied.

The boy, who seemed older, sneered at him. "I am Deidara, the great artist, un?"

"Artist?" Sai replied, instantly curious. "What do you paint?"

"Paint?!" Deidara replied. "That's not art, un! Art is… a BANG!"

Sai laughed. "You're stupid. A bang? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

Deidara smarled. "Art is fleeting! An explosion captures the one moment of beauty, un? Paintings… bah. They are just flat ugly things!"

"UGLY?! FLAT?!" Sai replied furiously, pulling out a brush and a scroll. He painted quickly, and within a few seconds a tiger prowled out of the scroll. "I'll show you flat!"

"What? That's…" Deidara gasped.

"My jutsu, yes." Sai replied. "I am a real artist."

"A real artist?" Deidara snapped. "You're not listening, un? MY art is true art!" He plunged a hand into one of his pouches, and quickly produced three little birds that flapped over to the tiger, and blew it up.

Sai gasped, and instantly produced a flock of ravens, that circled Deidara's head, trying to peck at his eyes. Deidara combated them with his own birds, and the two artists stood staring at each other angrily as the last wisps of smoke blew away.

Sai considered this for a moment. "Perhaps we are both artists. Our art is destruction… what do you say to that?"

"Destruction… well, I still hold that it's a bang. But I guess bangs are destructive… Fine. We're both artists, un."

"Good. I like your hair."

"Thanks. Nice top, un."

"Glad you like it."

The two boys stood looking at each other.

"So…"

"Yeah… I gotta go. Gotta fly, un?"

Deidara flew away, watching the strange boy until he was just a spot in the distance.

_Now to go catch some Akatsuki…_ thought Sai, putting his paintbrushes away.


	2. Chapter 2

Art is Destruction Part 2

Sai was heading back from a fruitless search for Akatsuki when he saw the mysterious artist a second time.

He was tired and sore, but he kept going, because he had to make a report to his leader. It was bad enough that he had failed, getting back late would be terrible.

Feeling a shadow pass over him, he shivered suddenly, not knowing why. He looked up, and saw it. That giant bird again. The artist – Deidara, he said his name was – was looking down at him, and sure enough, within a few moments he landed several steps away.

"Hello again." Sai said politely.

"Hey, un?" Deidara replied. "You never told me your name."

"Sai." He answered. "Well, that's my name for now, anyway."

"For now?" Deidara frowned.

"Yeah." Sai replied, not bothering to explain further. Looking at Deidara, he realised that the artist wasn't wearing a cloak again today, just some kind of black outfit with a lot of net. "I like your clothes today."

"Thanks." Deidara replied, leaning against a tree. "So, what are you doing out here anyway, un?"

"Oh, I'm just on my way home, Deidara-san." Sai said.

"Hey, no need to be so formal, un? We're fellow artists of destruction, right?" Deidara smirked.

"Oh, right… So I could call you by a nickname?" Sai said hopefully.

"Yeah, sure."

"Okay…" Sai said, thinking _You're supposed to use opposites…_ "Then I'll call you Ugly!"

Deidara looked a little offended. "Fine, Shorty." He replied, pretending he didn't care about being called that.

"So, anyway, you fly around a lot, don't you, Ugly? Have you seen any Akatsuki?" Sai asked.

"Akatsuki?!" Deidara asked, laughing. "Why, what do you need _them_ for?"

"Oh… no reason…" Sai said, trying to sound innocent. "Did you see any?"

Deidara paused. "No… I can't say I've seen all the members." He said carefully.

Sai, not noticing his phrasing, started walking away. "Well, then, I have to go, Ugly."

"Right… bye, Shorty…un…" Deidara said, a little bemused.

The two artists walked in opposite directions for a few steps. Then both turned and spoke at exactly the same time.

"You wanna hang out?"

They both laughed, and walked towards each other.

"So, where should we go, Ugly?" Sai asked.

"Uh, well… where were you headed?"

"Konoha!" Sai beamed.

"Right… don't think I can go there, un? How about we stop halfway?" Deidara replied, looking uneasy.

"But then I'll be late!"

"Not if we fly, un?" It was Deidara's turn to grin as he gestured towards the bird.

Within a few moments they were flying above a forest, Sai exclaiming excitedly. Suddenly, though, they dipped a little lower and he lost his balance.

His feet went from under him, and he felt himself falling. He could see the trees below and almost imagine the branches he fell on impaling him. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly… and then opened them in shock when he felt a strong pair of arms grab him. Looking up, he met Deidara's eyes, and realised the mysterious man had flown lower to catch hold of him.

"…Thanks…" He said breathlessly.

"Don't mention it, un?" Deidara replied, as they glided to the floor.

Once there, they sat and chatted aimlessly for ten or fifteen minutes, not really about anything; Sai remarked on a bird that flew out of the trees in front of them, Deidara talked about the weather, and then the time was up.

"Sorry, Ugly, I've gotta go." Sai said, a little reluctantly.

"Oh, right… well, see you around, un?" Deidara replied.

"Yeah…"

"Yeah."

Deidara coughed awkwardly and walked back to his bird.

"Um, so, Ugly? Maybe we could meet up some time, yeah?"

"Yeah… alright. Yeah."

"Good. Uh… bye."

Both boys walked away, this time not stopping. Both of them were blushing quite a bit. It wasn't until later that Deidara realised he had no idea how to get in touch with Sai to organise a meeting.


	3. Chapter 3

Art is Destruction Part Three

Deidara sat on a lonely hilltop, looking out over the surrounding countryside. Forests, farms, livestock, crops, hills… how he'd love to destroy it all. Make some _real_ scenery. His thoughts were interrupted, however, by the sight of a big, black bird winging its way towards him. He stood and shaded his eyes to watch it. It didn't seem right. There was something… he couldn't quite put his finger on it…something not quite real about it.

It got closer, and suddenly he realised why. It wasn't a bird. It was a _painting_, a living painting flying towards him, carrying a folded piece of paper in it's mouth. It could only be the work of one person. Full of excitement, he took the note and read it.

"Hey, Ugly. Wanna go on a date?

Sai

p.s. Follow me."

Deidara frowned, then looked up at the bird. He tried to ignore the fact that his heart was pounding and his face was flushed, by plunging his hand into a pocket and chewing up his own bird. As soon as it was ready, he climbed onboard, and Sai's bird started to fly back to it's master.

As they floated over the air currents, travelling steadily in the direction of Konoha, Deidara tried to calm his rapidly rising excitement. He couldn't wait to see the other artist again – he'd been unable to stop thinking about him all week!

Several turmoiled thoughts chased themselves around his head until finally the two birds began to slow down, over the forest where they had stopped to chat the last time they had met. Deidara felt his stomach tighten suddenly. This was it. The moment he had been dreaming about ever since they last spoke.

He swallowed, in an attempt to regulate his breathing, as he touched down on the floor. And there he was. Konoha's number one stomach-barer. Sai himself.

"Hey, Sai, un…" Deidara said nervously.

"Oh, hey, Ugly! You made it." Sai smiled. Deidara winced at the nickname.

"Umm… you know… it would be better if you called me something else, un…" He said quietly, as he walked towards the other ninja.

"Why? And like what?" Sai replied, frowning.

"Well, something like Dei, un? And, I don't know, I just don't like being told I'm ugly."

"What?" Sai scratched the back of his head. "But, a friend told me you should always call someone by the opposite of what they are, to make a good nickname."

"The opposite?" Deidara said, stopping just in front of Sai.

"Yeah, that's what she said."

"So… you don't think I'm ugly, un?"

"No, I think you're gorgeous!" Sai squealed. Deidara slowly broke into a grin, and took another step forward.

"…Thank you, un…" he said, and leaned in to kiss him.

They spent the rest of the evening together, talking and wandering through the forest, completely focused on each other. As the sun went down, they sat at the top of a tall tree, watching in silence. When it was gone, Sai heaved a sigh and nestled his head against Deidara's shoulder. Deidara blushed, and put an arm round him, grinning happily.

"We should do this more often, un…"

"Sure thing, Ugly…"

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Well, that's it for this one :) Please, tell me what you thought... and go and write SaiDei fics! Everyone!! We must spread the word!


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